Court rejects pre-arrest bail plea of Shiv Sena leader Waman Mhatre booked over 'offensive' remark

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A court in Thane district on Thursday rejected the pre-arrest bail application of Shiv Sena leader Waman Mhatre against whom police have registered an FIR for allegedly abusing a female reporter, reported news agency PTI.

The alleged incident took place when the reporter was covering a protest last week over the sexual assault on two minor girls at a school in Badlapur town of Thane district.

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According to the journalist, Shiv Sena leader Waman Mhatre made objectionable comments on her following which she filed a police complaint, reported PTI.

Based on the complaint, the police lodged an FIR against Shiv Sena leader Waman Mhatre, a former president of the Badlapur civic body, under relevant sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), reported PTI.

Mhatre, however, has denied the allegations made by the scribe.

Additional Public Prosecutor Kadambini Khandagale opposed the pre-arrest bail plea on various grounds, reported PTI.

Additional Sessions Judge MA Mote at the Kalyan court, after hearing arguments from both prosecution and defence, rejected the pre-arrest bail plea of the politician, reported PTI.

Video of cop washing Shiv Sena MLA's car goes viral

Meanwhile, a video showing a policeman washing Shiv Sena MLA Sanjay Gaikwad's car went viral on social media, with many questioning if that action was part of the cop's security duty to the ruling party legislator, reported PTI.

Former Congress MLA Harshwardhan Sapkal, who shared the video, said this was a classic case of misuse of the police personnel. "This is a disgrace," he added, reported PTI.

Gaikwad said the policeman who was on his security duty, had vomited in the vehicle after breakfast and volunteered to clean the vehicle. "Nobody asked him to clean the car," he added, reported PTI.

In February, Gaikwad had claimed that he had hunted a tiger in 1987 and has been wearing its tooth around his neck. Soon after, the state Forest department seized the accessory and charged him under the Wildlife Protection Act.

The purported tiger tooth was sent for forensic identification. The legislator, who belongs to the party led by Chief Minister Eknath Shinde, had earlier posted a video on social media claiming he had hunted a big cat.

(With inputs from PTI)